Fact file - 2019 entry

Qualification

BMBS Graduate Entry Medicine

UCAS code

A101

Duration

4 years full time

A level offer

N/A

Required subjects

Minimum of a 2:2 degree in any discipline. Applicants must apply through UCAS using course code A101 and institution code N84 (the closing date is 15 October 2018). In addition you must have taken the GAMSAT examination before you apply.

IB score

N/A

Course location

Royal Derby Hospital, hospital trusts and general practices in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire

Gain early interaction with patients through regular visits to general practices and hospitals

This four-year graduate entry medicine (GEM) course is open to home and EU applicants who already hold an undergraduate degree in any discipline. It is intended to build on the intellectual skills acquired by students who have undertaken a first degree.

Our course

Our curriculum covers basic and clinical sciences, as well as equipping you with all the skills you will need to practise effectively as a doctor.

There are two phases to the course:

The first 18 months

The first 18 months will be spent in Derby at our Medical School. It will be a problem-based learning (PBL) course in which you will work in small groups using case studies to explore clinical scenarios. These will be supported by taught classes – lectures, workshops and clinical skills sessions. Early clinical experience will be provided in clinical settings and personal and professional development will be encouraged.

The course is divided into modules, each of which examines a different system of the body. Working in groups, you will study the underlying science, physiology and wider issues presented by a case study each week.

You will also take part in:

anatomy workshops – looking at how the body works

pathology workshops – examining the processes of disease

clinical skills sessions – introducing all the skills you will need to practise medicine

GP practice attachments – visiting a practice to see how your learning is applied in a clinical context

There are two types of assessment on this course:

Formative exams – these are usually taken at the end of each block and do not count towards your final result, but act as a guide to learning.

Summative exams – these are taken at the end of each term in the form of clinical skills assessment. You will also take exams at the end of year one (July) and the end of the 18 months pre-clinical course (February), which allow you to move on to the next part of the course, provided a satisfactory mark is attained.

Clinical phases

After you have completed your foundation phase, you will combine with students on the five-year medicine course. You will start with a 17-week clinical practice course. This equips you with a core knowledge in the basic aspects of medicine and surgery, and helps you to become familiar with more common and important conditions.

You will then enter the final two years of your course. These consist of intensive training across a series of modules, based at major teaching hospitals within the region - Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Mansfield and Lincolnshire.

There are three main forms of teaching:

Clinical clerkships – rotating through different clinical attachments to gain first-hand experience of all the modules

Lincolnshire:

Student support

When you start your course you will be assigned a personal tutor who is your first point of contact when you need support of any kind. They may be able to help you themselves or refer you to the wider support services the University offers.

The School of Medicine also has four dedicated welfare officers who can support you with more significant or complex issues.

In addition, there is a school Disability Liaison Officer who can offer advice and guidance to students about disability issues and support.

Peer support is available through MedSoc, the Students’ Union for medicine and healthcare students.

Open days for 2019 entry

Recruiting for values

The School of Medicine values are linked to the NHS Constitution and underpin our courses. We expect medical students and applicants to demonstrate professional behaviour and attitudes consistent with these values.

Please see our comprehensive FAQs page for further information on the application process and other queries.

Entry requirements

No offers are made without an interview.

Minimum of a 2:2 degree in any discipline.

GAMSAT

GAMSAT is used to ensure entrants have the requisite knowledge and reasoning skills needed to study medicine. You must have sat the GAMSAT before you apply. Test results are valid for two years. For 2019 entry, the last GAMSAT test date is Wednesday 12 September 2018.

Please note, the registration for GAMSAT and application to the School of Medicine via UCAS are separate processes and both are required for admission to the graduate entry course.

A higher cut off score is usually employed where an applicant has a lower second class honours degree.

Work experience

A great deal of emphasis is placed on work experience, as we want to ensure that you are making a well-informed choice about your future career, something which a few days shadowing would not provide.

Relevant experience could include volunteering in a care home, or working as a healthcare assistant within a hospital.

Fitness to practise

Becoming a doctor means more than acquiring knowledge and skills. Medical students cannot complete the undergraduate curriculum without coming into close, and sometimes intimate, contact with members of the public who may be vulnerable or distressed. It is essential that you do nothing to diminish the trust which sick people and their relatives place in you. Read more

English language requirements

IELTS 7.5 (no less than 7.0 in any element)

Certificate of Proficiency in English: Grade B

If you require additional support to take your language skills to the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional course at the Centre for English Language Education, which is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

Students who successfully complete the presessional course to the required level can progress onto their chosen degree course without retaking IELTS or equivalent.

Flexible admissions policy

In recognition of our applicants’ varied experience and educational pathways, The University of Nottingham employs a flexible admissions policy. We consider applicants’ circumstances and broader achievements as part of the assessment process, but do not vary the offer from the grades advertised as a result of these. Please see the University’s admissions policies and procedures for more information.

Deferred entry

We do not normally offer deferred places for GEM. Permission to defer will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Modules

The following is a sample of the typical modules that we offer as at the date of publication but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Due to the passage of time between commencement of the course and subsequent years of the course, modules may change due to developments in the curriculum and the module information in this prospectus is provided for indicative purposes only.

Typical year one modules (first 18 months)

Problem-Based Learning Course

During the first 18 months in Derby, you will undertake a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) course in which you will work in small groups to explore clinical scenarios using case studies. Throughout this period, all students are based in a purpose-built medical school on the Royal Derby Hospital campus. Early clinical experience will be provided in clinical settings and personal and professional development is encouraged.

Clinical and Professional Development 1 and 2

This module aims to introduce you to the knowledge, skills and attitudes that you will require to practice clinical medicine. These are a necessary pre-requisite for practising clinical medicine; the OSCE exam and the module overall must be passed to continue your studies.

In part two, you will practice basic clinical skills within the context of the professional settings and framework in which you will work. Clinical attachments in primary and secondary care are supported by regular seminars and practical sessions in order to introduce, rehearse and reinforce relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Following the first 18 months, you will join A100 BMBS Medicine students to undertake the clinical phases. Please visit the BMBS Medicine prospectus page for module details.

The modules we offer are inspired by the research interests of our staff and as a result may change for reasons of, for example, research developments or legislation changes. The above list is a sample of typical modules we offer, not a definitive list.

Careers

At the end of the undergraduate course you will receive your BMBS degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ entitles you to provisional registration with the General Medical Council, subject only to its acceptance that there are no Fitness to Practise concerns that need consideration. Provisional registration is time limited to a maximum of three years and 30 days (1125 days in total). After this time period your provisional registration will normally expire.

Foundation Year 1

Provisionally registered doctors can only practise in approved UK Foundation Year 1 posts: the law does not allow provisionally registered doctors to undertake any other type of work. To obtain a UK Foundation Year 1 post you will need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate course through the UK Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates these posts to graduates on a competitive basis. So far, all suitably qualified UK graduates have found a place on the UK Foundation Year 1 programme, but this cannot be guaranteed, for instance if there were to be an increased number of competitive applications from non-UK graduates.

Successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme is normally achieved within 12 months and is marked by the award of a Certificate of Experience. You will then be eligible to apply for full registration with the General Medical Council. You need full registration with a licence to practise for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice in the UK.

Although this information is currently correct, students need to be aware that regulations in this area may change from time to time.

There is some discussion about whether to remove provisional registration for newly qualified doctors. If this happens then UK graduates will receive full registration as soon as they have successfully completed a BM BS degree. It should be noted that it is very likely that UK graduates will still need to apply for a training programme similar to the current Foundation Programme and that places on this programme may not be guaranteed for every UK graduate.

In addition the GMC has announced that from 2022, the students graduating in that year onwards will be required to undertake the UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA).

Professional recognition

This course is recognised by the General Medical Council.

Average starting salary and career progression

In 2016, 99.6% of undergraduates in the school who were available for employment had secured work or further study within six months of graduation. The average starting salary was £27,958 with the highest being £40,000.*

* Known destinations of full-time home undergraduates, 2015/16. Salaries are calculated based on the median of those in full-time paid employment within the UK.

Postgraduate medical education

Careers Support and Advice

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take. Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills by:

assisting with job or course applications

searching for appropriate work experience placements

hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers

Have a look at our Careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

Home students*

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £2,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

Please note: currently only first year Graduate Entry Medicine students are eligible to apply for the core bursary.

Key Information Sets (KIS)

DisclaimerThis online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.